Belt to garment supporting device



April 5, 1960 v. BENLIAN 2,931,085

BELT T0 GARMENT SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed lay 17, 1956 Fig.4

IN V EN TOR.

filing,

United States Patent BELT T GARMENT SUPPORTING DEVICE Vera Benlian, Los Angeles, Calif. Application May 17, 1956, Serial No. 585,506 1 Claim. 01. 24-73 This invention relates to means for engaging a belt to garments, and more particularly to a belt-embracing device which may be adjusted variably to belts having different widths. Its main object is to provide a variably adjustable device for embracing a belt of unknown width, including a movable safety pin for attaching securely said device to garments, for example, to trousers or skirts. Another object of this invention is to provide a belt-to-garment engaging device, which is eifective for the purpose contemplated herein, and is also simple in construction for manipulating it.

The following specification will reveal the substance of this invention more clearly when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which the garment-supporting device is attached to a section of a belt; Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of the drawing of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate two different diagrammatic vews of the assembled beltsupportng device; Fig. 5 illustrates a three dimensional view of the movable member of the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4; and Fig. 6 is a three dimensional view of the assembled device, partly broken to show the position of the sliding portion of the movable member in the raceway of the stationary member. 7

In the drawings of Figs. 1 to 6, the numerals designating like parts are repeated throughout, so that like parts in the detailed drawings may be easily located. Accordingly, these numerals will be repeated in the following specification when reference to the detailed drawing is made.

Referring now to the general apearance of the beltsupporting device, Fig. 1 shows a section of the garment 1, and a section of a belt 2 over which is mounted the belt-supporting device; only the belt-embracing hooks 3 and 4 being shown. Fig. 2 shows more clearly in side view how the belt-supporting device embraces the belt 2 including a safety attaching device 7 pinned to a garment 1. The belt-supporting device consists of two parts: a stationary member 3, and a sliding member 4, so that the distance between the hooks at the free ends of these two members may be adjusted to embrace a belt of any of the ordinary widths. It is thus shown by the illustrations of Figs. 1 and 2, that the present invention contemplates mainly to provide a novel belt-to-garment engaging device, which will efiectively support a garment from the belt and prevent the sagging thereof. For more specific constructional details, reference may now be' made to the following illustrations.

In Fig. 3, the belt-supporting device is shown in partly broken assembled view, wherein 9 represents the body of the stationary member comprising a belt-embracing hook 3, and a receptive raceway 11 through which the sliding member 12 may be moved in and out at handfriction-tight tension to adjust the distance between hook member 3 and the hook member 4 of the sliding member 12. The sliding member 12 is shown separately in Fig. 5, in three dimensional view, which consists at its male 'ice 2 end of two springy tongues 14, and 14 with wiping lugs 15 and 15' at their tips, the latter of which slide against the end walls of raceway 11 (in Fig 3); thus providing a friction tight means for holding the sliding member 12 in any adjusted position along the raceway 11. To prevent the sliding member 12 from falling out the raceway 11, by accidental pushing or pulling away from said raceway, a guard member 20 (in Fig. 4) is included at the free end of said raceway, so that when the sliding member 12 is pulled out all the way, the wiping lugs 15 and 15' are stopped at the guard member and prevent from falling out the raceway. Due to the flexibility of tongue members 14 and 14 (in Fig. 5), the sliding member may be inserted into the raceway by merely pressing the tongues toward each other; and by similar operation the sliding member may be disengaged from the raceway when desired. The kind of material that the novel device may be made with is immaterial herein. For practical purposes, however, I have found by actual construction that, when the slidable member 14 is made of the commercially available plastic material (Mensatoes High Test 88), excellent utility performance is attained under constant use of the device. Construction of this device with plastic material provides ease of pressing the prongs 14 together without breakage, for insertion into the raceway 11, and it also provides the necessary friction tension-engagement of the slidable members in any desired position. Although the particular plastic material re ferred to is preferable, it is by no mean the only material that the presently disclosed novel device can be made with. The reference is merely made as a suggestion for manufacturing purposes.

According to the foregoing specification, and by way of the illustration in Fig. 3, the substance of the present invention has been clearly revealed. To further illustrate the assembly of the belt-embracing device disclosed herein, in various diagrammatic views, however, Fig. 4 shows a partly broken front plan of the assembly, wherein 9 represents the stationary body member; 3 represents the belt-embracing hook; 11 represents the receptive raceway; 20 represents the guard at the free end of the raceway; 21 represents the sliding member; 4 represents the belt-embracing hook at the free end of the sliding member; 14 represents one of the springy tongues of the sliding member; and 15 represents one of the wiping lugs at the tips of said tongues. The three dimensional illustration of the sliding member is clearly shown in Fig. 5, to provide constructional details to the skilled in the art. How the forklike member is fitted into the raceway of the stationary member is shown in broken section of a three dimensional view in Fig. 6. The forklike sliding member 21 is pushed into the raceway 11 (broken view) of the stationary member 9, until the inner-wall corners of hooks 3 and 4 fit snugly over the edges of belt 2, the latter of which is shown in a small portion and away from the embracing device for clarity of view in the drawing. For comparison purposes, the furcated prongs in Fig. 5 are shown how in their free states open outwardly, whereas, when they are inserted into the raceway in Fig. 6, the free ends close almost parallel to each other. This closing act of the furcated prongs cause the wipers (only wiper 15 is shown in Fig. 6) to exert pressure against the walls of the raceway, and accordingly, remain in any adjusted position by hand pressure upon the sliding member 21. I have found by actual construction of the device that such frictional tension between the wipers 15, 15 and the raceway 11 is sufiicient to hold the stationary member 9 and the sliding member 21 in any preadjusted position, for keeping the belt 2 supported under lengthy use by the wearer.

In view of the foregoing specification and the illustratious thereof, it will be Obvious to those skilled in the art that the belt-embracing device disclosed herein may be made in various shapes without departing-from the spirit and scope of the invention, and accordingly, I wish it to be understood that my invention be defined only by the claim appended thereto. It is also to be understood that the device may be made of various difl'erent mate rials, such for example, metal and plastics of various compositions, and ornamental patterns thereof.

What I claim is:

A belt to garment engaging device which comprises in combination adjustable belt-embracing first and second members; the first member having an inner receptive raceway along its body and a hook at one of its ends, said hook adapted to embrace one edge of a belt; the second member consisting of a furcated body of springy prongs adapted to fittingly slide into said raceway under hand pressure friction-tight tension and having a hook at the adjoining end of said prongs, last said hook being adapted to embrace the other edge of said belt, whereby facilitating the insertion and retention of said belt of 7 m me.

I unknown width between the inner corners of said hooks by sliding said second member in inward or outward direction at frictional tension-engagement in said raceway of the first member; a wiping lug at the free end of each of said prongs; and a guard at the free end of said raceway in alignment with said lugs, whereby preventing free fall-out of said second member from the raceway of said first member and providing means for insertion of the second member in the firstmember by pressing saidprongs closer to each other.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 196,001 Frankenthal Oct. 9, 1877 573,685 Munro Dec. 22, 1896 688,047 Wilson Dec. 3, 1901 V 777,804 Poole Dec. 20, 1904 821,216. Castera May 22, 1906 874,957 Godley Dec. 31, 1907 Schaeffer ..'Feb. 9, 1954 

